Discourse,
7 April 1844, as Reported by Times
and Seasons

in a well, I have been requested to speak
by his friends and relatives, and inasmuch as there are a great many
in this congregation who live in this
city

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

, as well as elsewhere, and who
have lost friends, I feel disposed to speak on the subject in
general, and offer you my ideas so far as I have ability, and so far as I
shall be inspired by the Holy Spirit to dwell on this subject. I want
your prayers and faith, the instruction of Almighty God and the gift of
the Holy Ghost, that I may set forth things that are true, that can
easily be comprehended, and shall carry the testimony to your hearts; pray
that the Lord may strengthen my lungs, stay the winds and let the
prayers of the saints to heaven appear, that it may enter into the ear of
the Lord of Sabaoth; for the effectual prayers of righteous men
availeth much, and I verily believe that your prayers shall be heard
before I enter into the investigation fully of the subject that is
laying before me. Before entering fully into the investigation, I wish to
pave the way: I will make a few preliminaries, in order that you may
understand the subject when I come to it. I do not calculate to please
your ears with superfluity of words or oratory, or with much
learning; but I calculate to edify you with the simple truths from heaven.
In the first place, I wish to go back to the beginning of creation;
there is the starting point, in order to be fully acquainted with the
mind, purposes, decrees, &c. of the great Eloheim, that sits in
yonder heavens, it is necessary for us to have an understanding of
God himself in the beginning. If we start right, it is easy to go right
all the time; but if we start wrong, it is a hard matter to get
right. There are a very few beings in the world who understand rightly the
character of God. They do not comprehend any thing, that which is
past, or that which is to come; and consequently, but little above the
brute beast. If a man learns nothing more than to eat, drink, sleep,
and does not comprehend any of the designs of God, the beast
comprehends the same thing; it eats, drinks, sleeps, knows nothing
more; yet knows as much as we, unless WE are able to comprehend by
the inspiration of Almighty God. I want to go back to the beginning, and
so lift your minds into a more lofty sphere, a more exalted
understanding; that what the human mind generally understands. I want
to ask this congregation, every man, woman and child, to answer the
question in their own heart, what kind of a being is God? ask yourselves.
I again repeat the question, what kind of a being is God? Does any
man or woman know? have any of you seen him, heard him, communed with
him? Here is the question that will peradventure from this time
henceforth, occupy your attention. The apostle says this is eternal life,
to know God and Jesus Christ, who he has sent. If any man enquire
what kind of a being is God, if he will search diligently his own
heart, if the declaration of the apostle be true, he will realize
that he has not eternal life, there can be eternal life on no other
principle. My first object is, to find out the character of the only
wise and true God, and if I should be the man to comprehend God, and
explain or convey the principles to your hearts so that the spirit
seals it upon you, let every man and woman henceforth put their hand on
their mouth and never say any thing against the man of God again; but
if I fail, it becomes my duty to renounce all my pretensions to
revelations, inspirations, &c., and if all are pretensions to
God, they will all be as bad off as I am at any rate. There is not a
man but would breathe out an anathema, if they knew I was a false
prophet; and some would feel authorized to take away my life. If any
man is authorized to take away my life, who says I am a false
teacher; then upon the same principle am I authorized to take away
the life of every false teacher, and where would be the end of blood,
and who would not be the sufferer. But no man is authorized to take
away life in consequence of their religion; which all laws and
governments ought to tolerate, right or wrong. If I show verily, that
I have the truth of God, and show that ninety-nine out of a hundred
are false teachers while they pretend to hold the keys of God, and to kill
them because they are false teachers, it would deluge the whole world
with blood. I want you all to know God, to be familiar with him, and if I
can bring you to him, all persecutions against me will cease; you
will know that I am his servant, for I speak as one having authority.—
What sort of a being was God in the beginning? Open your ears and
hear all ye ends of the earth; for I am going to prove it to you by the
Bible, and am going to tell you the designs of God to the human race,
and why he interferes with the affairs of man.

First, God
himself, who sits enthroned in yonder heavens, is a man like unto one of
yourselves, that is the great secret. If the vail was rent to-day,
and the great God, who holds this world in its orbit, and upholds all
things by his power; if you were to see him to-day, you would see him
in all the person, image and very form as a man; for Adam was created
in the very fashion and image of God; Adam received instruction, walked,
talked and
[p. 613]

in a well, I have been requested to speak
by his friends and relatives, and inasmuch as there are a great many
in this congregation who live in this
city

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

, as well as elsewhere, and who
have lost friends, I feel disposed to speak on the subject in
general, and offer you my ideas so far as I have ability, and so far as I
shall be inspired by the Holy Spirit to dwell on this subject. I want
your prayers and faith, the instruction of Almighty God and the gift of
the Holy Ghost, that I may set forth things that are true, that can
easily be comprehended, and shall carry the testimony to your hearts; pray
that the Lord may strengthen my lungs, stay the winds and let the
prayers of the saints to heaven appear, that it may enter into the ear of
the Lord of Sabaoth; for the effectual prayers of righteous men
availeth much, and I verily believe that your prayers shall be heard
before I enter into the investigation fully of the subject that is
laying before me. Before entering fully into the investigation, I wish to
pave the way: I will make a few preliminaries, in order that you may
understand the subject when I come to it. I do not calculate to please
your ears with superfluity of words or oratory, or with much
learning; but I calculate to edify you with the simple truths from heaven.
In the first place, I wish to go back to the beginning of creation;
there is the starting point, in order to be fully acquainted with the
mind, purposes, decrees, &c. of the great Eloheim, that sits in
yonder heavens, it is necessary for us to have an understanding of
God himself in the beginning. If we start right, it is easy to go right
all the time; but if we start wrong, it is a hard matter to get
right. There are a very few beings in the world who understand rightly the
character of God. They do not comprehend any thing, that which is
past, or that which is to come; and consequently, but little above the
brute beast. If a man learns nothing more than to eat, drink, sleep,
and does not comprehend any of the designs of God, the beast
comprehends the same thing; it eats, drinks, sleeps, knows nothing
more; yet knows as much as we, unless WE are able to comprehend by
the inspiration of Almighty God. I want to go back to the beginning, and
so lift your minds into a more lofty sphere, a more exalted
understanding; that what the human mind generally understands. I want
to ask this congregation, every man, woman and child, to answer the
question in their own heart, what kind of a being is God? ask yourselves.
I again repeat the question, what kind of a being is God? Does any
man or woman know? have any of you seen him, heard him, communed with
him? Here is the question that will peradventure from this time
henceforth, occupy your attention. The apostle says this is eternal life,
to know God and Jesus Christ, who he has sent. If any man enquire
what kind of a being is God, if he will search diligently his own
heart, if the declaration of the apostle be true, he will realize
that he has not eternal life, there can be eternal life on no other
principle. My first object is, to find out the character of the only
wise and true God, and if I should be the man to comprehend God, and
explain or convey the principles to your hearts so that the spirit
seals it upon you, let every man and woman henceforth put their hand on
their mouth and never say any thing against the man of God again; but
if I fail, it becomes my duty to renounce all my pretensions to
revelations, inspirations, &c., and if all are pretensions to
God, they will all be as bad off as I am at any rate. There is not a
man but would breathe out an anathema, if they knew I was a false
prophet; and some would feel authorized to take away my life. If any
man is authorized to take away my life, who says I am a false
teacher; then upon the same principle am I authorized to take away
the life of every false teacher, and where would be the end of blood,
and who would not be the sufferer. But no man is authorized to take
away life in consequence of their religion; which all laws and
governments ought to tolerate, right or wrong. If I show verily, that
I have the truth of God, and show that ninety-nine out of a hundred
are false teachers while they pretend to hold the keys of God, and to kill
them because they are false teachers, it would deluge the whole world
with blood. I want you all to know God, to be familiar with him, and if I
can bring you to him, all persecutions against me will cease; you
will know that I am his servant, for I speak as one having authority.—
What sort of a being was God in the beginning? Open your ears and
hear all ye ends of the earth; for I am going to prove it to you by the
Bible, and am going to tell you the designs of God to the human race,
and why he interferes with the affairs of man.

First, God
himself, who sits enthroned in yonder heavens, is a man like unto one of
yourselves, that is the great secret. If the vail was rent to-day,
and the great God, who holds this world in its orbit, and upholds all
things by his power; if you were to see him to-day, you would see him
in all the person, image and very form as a man; for Adam was created
in the very fashion and image of God; Adam received instruction, walked,
talked and
[p. 613]

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...